Do you think she could have loved me?
by Kyda-Larkan
Summary: After Kili's muddled confession of his feelings for her, Tauriel becomes confused about her own. But with more pressing matters at hand, will they ever be able to confront the truth of how they feel? I have discovered I am awful at summaries. Kiliel Other stuff. Canon (movie) until after "You cannot be her...Do you think she could have loved me?" Happy ending not guaranteed.
1. Chapter 1

_**A fanfic about Kili and Tauriel from the movie The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug. If you decide to read, please keep in mind that this is my interpretation of the characters, of their personalities and agendas. This follows the movie up until the point where Kili says "You cannot be her. She is far away. She.. She is far, far away from me. She walks in Starlight in another world. It was just a dream. Do you think she could have loved me?" After which he moves to take her hand. I'm going to have it that at that point he passed out, and a little after that is when this picks up. R&R, and I hope you enjoy.**_

_**The credit for the original characters of The Hobbit goes to Tolkien, of course, and the plot and characters in the movie to Peter Jackson. I don't claim to own anything other than the words written below.**_

Tauriel had feared that she would be too late, that the poison would have run it's course long before she was able to reach Laketown. Upon setting eyes on the young Dwarf, the She-Elf feared she was right. Yet somehow, the Dwarves had managed to obtain the very herb she needed to heal him. It was nothing short of a miracle, and one that came just in time.

Kili had passed out soon after, and they had settled him on a small cot. The other Dwards, Fili, Bofur and Oin, as well as Bard and his children, had gone out to see what could be done around the town, leaving Tauriel to guard him. She found it a bit funny, that they had assumed she would stay with him. Then again, she was quickly finding that the Dwarves were much wiser than her Elven kin had made them out to be.

It was so, that she was now perched as far from him as the confines of the small house would allow, however her keen Elven eyes never left his face. Tauriel didn't doubt her abilities as an Elf to heal, yet she still found herself worrying that she had somehow failed and Kili would once again fall under the effects of the poison. These thoughts were irrational, and they troubled her. More than anything, however, his words thrummed in her ears. She had been mentally examining them, tearing them apart, for over an hour now, and still couldn't make any real sense of what he had meant. Of course he hadn't even been in his right mind, she told herself. It was merely the nonsense of an ill man. And yet the words surrounded her mind like shackles, unwilling to release her until she had discovered their meaning.

"_You cannot be her. She is far away. She.. She is far away from me. She walk in Starlight in another world. It was just a dream… Do you think she could have loved me_?"

The words had been broken, but beautiful, just as he had been laid out on the table in front of her. Kili, rather tall for a Dwarf, with an inner light that rivaled the stars. She wondered if, perhaps, she reminded him of a lost love. Lost to the world he had nearly found himself in. It made sense, as much sense as anything could, but she couldn't imagine he had met many Woodland Elves. Tauriel, with all her Elvish pride, didn't even entertain the thought that she could even remotely resemble any Dwarvish maiden. Maybe he really had been talking about her, and in his poisoned state of mind thought himself to be hallucinating. But then, she hadn't been far away from him. Laketown wasn't even a full days travel from Mirkwood. There was, of course, height difference, but that seemed a ridiculous thing to trouble himself with at such a desperate time.

Then there was the explanation she had been truly trying to deny all along. That being what they were, and Elf and a Dwarf, they were lost to each other. In two separate worlds that could never reach the other. That the young Dwarf felt as she did, that there was something to be found between them, something that could grow to be full of beauty and light.

But even if this were true, that Kili returned her budding affections, he had been right. She was in another world. Peace was barely obtainable between Dwarvish and Elven kind, such a union was a ridiculous thought. The fact that even a part of her yearned for it was shameful. She knew what the king, and what her dear Legolas, would have to say about her feelings. Should she ever dare to express them. What she wanted was impossible, disgusting even. The fact that an Elf, even a lowly Sylvan Elf, should want such things with a Dwarf? It was unheard of.

A low moan roused Tauriel from her thoughts, and she darted to his side. A delicate, long fingered hand moved to sweep the thick hair from his dampened forehead. She performed the action without thinking, and with more affection than one would expect from and Elf. He looked better, she thought. More of his color had returned, and as his eyes struggled open, she saw they contained much of their former light.

"Kili? I am here. Tell me what you need."

The Dwarf gazed up at her, confusion dotting his expression. He lifted a hand, much as though he meant to cup her face. However, he was still greatly weakened from the poison, and his arm fell back to his side before he was able to do so. "Tauriel? What.. Why are you here?"

It felt as though her heart plummeted far past the pit in her stomach, and she drew her hand away from him. "Do you not remember?"

He stared up at her, looking almost conflicted, before giving a weak shake of his head. "I do not."

Tauriel took a step back, her expression blank as humiliation swept over her. She was an Elf. A lowly Sylvan Elf, perhaps, but and Elf nonetheless. And she had dared allow herself to feel for a Dwarf. Whether his words had been the ramblings of an ill man mattered not. It could now be as though it had never happened, and while disappointment churned in her stomach, she told herself it was for the best.

...

Kili remembered.

How could he not? He doubted the sight of her was one he would ever manage to forget. She had been magnificent, standing over him and chanting in her Elvish tongue in such a way that commanded the poison out of him. He had never seen anything to awe inspiring, and doubted he ever would again. He imagined the beauty of Tauriel to be unmatched, in this world or any other, and after that moment held no doubt in his mind that it was true. As the barrels had floated down the river, he had thought he'd never see her again. A thought that shouldn't have burdened him as much as it had. And yet she had been there, saving him once again. Of course he had managed to ruin such a beautiful thing, his young, foolish tongue getting the better of him.

Of course Kili remembered. What he had meant was, why was she _still_ there?

But Kili had decided that it would be best for both of them if he couldn't remember. Best for everyone, really. It would spare Tauriel the pain of having to explain that she was an Elf, and he a Dwarf. He knew what they were, he knew it was ridiculous. But there was just something about the She-Elf that had shaken him to the very core since the first time she saved him.

This way was better. It spared him more humiliation, made things cleaner. Tauriel could move on with her life without worrying about a lovesick Dwarf pining for her attention. She could tell the story of how a Dwarf confessed his love for her, and all the Elves could have a good laugh about it for a few centuries. And he would hold Fili at knife point until he swore never to speak of it. It was better this way. And as Tauriel backed away from him, surely relieved, he stopped himself from reaching out. From begging her to stay and never leave his side again. Kili didn't think for a moment that she could possibly want that as much as he did.

"The arrow which marked you was poisoned. Luckily, I arrived in time to heal you before it's effects were fatal."

"How did you know?"

Tauriel turned away from him, beginning to pace the length of the room. "After the initial attack was over, Legolas and I captured an Orc in order to interrogate him. During the questioning, he revealed that they had managed to strike one of you with a poisoned arrow. I knew that you had been hit, and came to find you."

"Why?" Tauriel merely gave him a quizzical look, and after a minute or two of her pacing in silence, he tried again. "Why would and Elf care about about the life of a mere Dwarf?"

She paused, turning just slightly to look over her shoulder. "I did not want you to break your promise."

Kili stayed silent, and she resumed her pacing. They stayed that way for several minutes, the sound of her barely audible footsteps accompanied only by the gentle creaking of the house. Finally, he could take the silence no longer. "Where are the others? My brother, Fili. Bofur, Oin. Where have they gone?"

"About the town. To gather supplies, or information, I am not certain. I imagine they will return so-"

The house shook, dust and bits of the broken roof showering down on them. What sounded like thunder rolled from the mountain, and Tauriel froze.

"No."

She began darting wildly about the house, occasionally throwing bits of clothing at Kili. "Get dressed, if you can, and hurry."

He obeyed, moving himself into a sitting position with some difficulty. His joints were sore and stiff, which wasn't anything unusual, but he was also weak. Still, moving as quick as he could, he donned the many layers of his Dwarvish clothing. "What is it? What's happened?"

The Elf stilled, gripping the table with pale knuckles. Kili had never seen an Elf like this, and he imagined it was the closest they ever got to actually panicking. "Your kin have awoken the dragon. There isn't much time." As the horror of what she said sunk in, Kili seemed to find new energy, and finished dressing with surprising swiftness. He managed to ease himself off the cot, but couldn't quite stand without leaning against this. Tauriel noticed this, and searched the house until she found a walking stick, which she threw to him. He caught it, barely, and moved slowly but surely to where she waited by the door.

"What are we to do? How are we to fight a dragon?"

Tauriel gazed down at him, her eyes seeming to search him for an answer to his own question. "We can't. Not alone." Leaving the house, she started off down the crowded street at what he imagined was an agonizingly slow pace for an Elf, and entirely for his benefit. The townspeople were in terror, no strangers to the stories of thunder from the mountain. "You are too weak to fight, Kili."

Ever the stubborn Dwarf, he protested. "I am no-"

Tauriel stopped so abruptly that Kili nearly ran into her. Pivoting, she kneeled so they were at eye level with each other. "You are, Dwarf. You can barely walk." Her voice held only a note of impatience, sounding more concerned than anything. "But you are not useless. We cannot fight this dragon alone." Kili was at a complete loss as to what she meant, but continued following her once she took off again. They flowed through the crowd, the townspeople parting to make way for them once they spotted Tauriel. Soon they were standing on the steps of the Master's house, and Tauriel turned to face the crowd.

"People of Laketown!" Those passing closest to the steps halted, turning their attention to the demanding presence of the She-Elf. However, the rest of the panicked crowd continued on their way. In a quick, calm move, Tauriel drew an arrow. She sent it sailing just over their heads, and it stuck soundly in the nearest building. It got their attention, surely enough, and she lowered her bow. After a minute everyone had stilled, except for those still flowing in from the side streets.

"People of Laketown, the dragon has awoken." A murmur started in the crowd, quickly growing in volume, but silence fell once again when Tauriel held up her hand. "We must prepare for the worst. You have all grown up on the stories of the destruction once caused by the terrible Smaug. Let me tell you something; nothing any of you could possibly imagine would even come close to the devastation the great beast is capable of. He has been angered, and Laketown has no true way of defending itself from his wrath." Tauriel paused, and the townspeople took the opportunity to begin talking amongst themselves. All Kili could do was stare, in awe of her even with the current disaster at hand. "I have sent word to my people, the great Elves of Mirkwood, and they will come to your aid." Kili raised a skeptical brow at that, for last he knew Elves didn't have a way of communicating with their minds, although he couldn't say he would be surprised if they did. "Prepare those who are unable to fight and send them across the lake. Use every vessel you can find. Once that is finished, those of you who remain must gather in the armory and prepare yourselves. Laketown, is in danger." She stepped down, heading off again and motioning for Kili to follow. He hobbled along, a bit faster than before, and managed to stay at her side.

"When did you send word to Mirkwood?"

"I haven't. Yet." Giving him a sideways glance, she barely hesitated. "That is what you are going to do."

Kili stopped dead in his tracks, looking at her with disbelief painted on his features. "I'm going to do what?"

Looking a bit impatient, she kneeled down once again. It was beginning to make him feel a bit like a child, a feeling he was familiar with having around Thorin and Fili. He couldn't say he didn't like being able to look her directly in the eye for a change. "Kili, you can't fight. But someone needs to get to Mirkwood before the people of Laketown do, and reason with the king to allow them within our borders. It isn't guaranteed they will be safe there, no one knows how far the dragon will go. It is their only chance, and if someone does not convince the king.. They will not be welcome." Her expression conveyed quite clearly what that meant, but Kili was still doubtful of her plan.

"Your king will not listen to me, he would not even listen to Thorin! In his eyes I am no different than the very dirt he walks on. What is to stop him from killing me?"

Tauriel's eyes held grief, but her answer was steady. "Nothing. But you must try, Kili. You are their only hope."

She was right, and Kili knew it. Selflessness was not a common virtue among the Dwarves, but cruel they were not. After a moment of deliberation, he gave a short nod, and the pair took off down the docks. Tauriel snatched what appeared to be a child's cloak from one of the merchant stalls along the way. When they reached the lake's edge, she pulled him aside and insisted he put it on. "You will leave with the first barge, disguised as a child. When you reach the other side, you must make haste. While even in your weakened state you will travel faster, being alone rather than in a group with women and children, but even then it won't leave you much time to reason with the king. Be clever. Keep your emotions in check. He will not be pleased to see you, and even less so at your request. Surrender immediately, or the guards will kill you." All the while she was talking, she had been straightening the cloak, making sure it covered him and tucking all of his dark, tangled hair into the hood. "Keep the hood low, and your head down, or someone will see your beard."

There was an almost playful look in her eyes, and he couldn't help but retort. "I know how to hide, Tauriel." What she did next shocked him, so much so that he didn't really react. Leaning under the hood, she placed a soft kiss on one of his bearded cheeks. At the same time she reached a hand into his cloak, securing a small blade in his belt. "There may still be Orcs lurking." To anyone else it would have looked as though she were merely kissing the cheek of a child, and he wondered for a moment if that's how she viewed him. A love struck child.

"Be safe, _Mellon_."


	2. Chapter 2

_**First of all, thank you all so much for your reviews, favorites and follows. It means a lot that you've all enjoyed my story so far. This chapter probably isn't quite as enjoyable, less action but necessary information. It's also a bit short, but chapter three will more than make up for it. However, I do give you some Tauriel/Fili interaction (protective brother Fili in fact) as well as some sassy Dwarf remarks. And don't worry, more action and more Kili to come in chapter three!**_

...

The loading of the women, children and elderly onto the barges was surveyed by the anxious She-Elf. Of course it didn't show, to the humans she would look as composed as ever. Only one of her kin would be able to sense her distress.

This was taking too long. The dragon could be upon the town at any moment, and not even half of the barges were across the lake. Tauriel hand't expected them to move as swiftly as elves, but she found their dawdling ridiculous. From what she observed, many of them had taken the time to gather some of their posessions. She could only imagine the look on the Elven king's face when they would all come stumbling in to the great halls of Mirkwood, dirty, fish smelling sacks of their meager possessions and all. Some might have found the thought comical, but Tauriel's anxiety only grew. Furthermore, the fact that she had no way of knowing if Kili was safe did nothing to sooth her nerves. There were undoubtedly still Orcs along the path to Mirkwood. Even more importantly, she had know way of knowing if the Dwarf would succeed. Thranduil was not easily persuaded, even at the best of times. Tauriel hoped Kili would have better luck than his uncle.

Hearing a small commotion behind her, Tauriel turned to see an enraged Fili storming towards her across the docks, the two other Dwarves in tow. Upon reaching her, he grabbed her arm, giving it a rough yank to pull her down. Tauriel scrunched her nose, feeling his hot breath against her face as he spoke. "_Where is my brother, Elf._" It was a demand, not a question, and while his voice held fury, his eyes held what he was truly feeling: dread.

As Tauriel wrenched her arm from his grip and straightened herself, the elder Dwarf began quietly lecturing Fili until she held up her hand to silence him. "Kili-" A woman and her two children cut in between them, causing her to pause. "The young Dwarf is doing everything in his power to save the people of Laketown." As Fili and his companions were clearly unsatisfied with her vague explanation, she motioned for them to follow her, leading them to an empty merchant stand which appeared to have been abandoned by it's owner. Tauriel searched her mind for a reasonable way to explain what she had sent Kili to do- Without making it sound like she had sent him to his death. "I was able to save your brother, but even so he remains too weak to fight. The townspeople are travelling across the lake with the goal of reaching Mirkwood and seeking sanctuary before the dragon arrives. Those who are able to fight have stayed behind. However.. _Someone_ needed to travel ahead and reach Mirkwood before any of the townspeople, in order to convince King Thranduil to allow them santuary within our borders." At their blank stares, Tauriel assumed they hadn't figured out what this had to do with their missing comrade. "Kili.. Left with the first barge."

It was clear on their faces when they realized what she meant, and Fili now looked murderous. The eldest of the Dwarves placed a cautioning hand on his shoulder, but Fili shrugged it off. "What fate have you doomed my brother to?"

"Kili is doing what he believes is right, Dwarf. _Your_ kin are the ones who have awoken the dragon- _You_ have all put these people in danger."

"We have come back to take what is rightfully ours- To take back our _home_. Now thanks to you my brother may never again see the halls of Erebor." Oin opened his mouth to speak, but Tauriel cut him off.

"Your people could not hold their own against Smaug when you were on the defensive, how do you expect to defeat him when you have no hold on the mountain?"

"With this." A fifth joined them in the stall, thrusting an object between them. It was long, black, and Tauriel recognized it immediately. She looked to the man, identifying him as the owner of the house that had been ravaged during the Orc attack- Bard the Bargman.

"How did _you_- Get a Black Arrow?"

Oin finally spoke. "He is a descendant of Girion. The Master said so when we were brought to him. The man agrees with you, Elf. He would rather lay blame on us than admit his ancestors mistake" Bard looked mildly constipated, but didn't take the bait, seemingly too focused on the crisis at hand rather than the mistake of the past. Tauriel, however, found the remark distasteful.

"This man has provided the only weapon that gives you a real, fighting chance against Smaug. You Dwarves are an ungrateful people." She couldn't help but note- only to herself of course -that she found Kili to be an exception to this observation.

Fili, still steaming from discovering the whereabouts of his brother, couldn't let it go. "It won't do any good if he _misses_."

Oin looked mildly irritated, Bofur wasn't bothering to hide his amusement, Fili had a hint of a smug smirk, Bard was red in the face, and Tauriel regarded them all with a moderate amount of disgust. Not being one to waste time, however, Tauriel moved to snatch the Black Arrow. Even when he wasn't distracted by the insults of three Dwarves, Bard's reflexes wouldn't have been a match for the She-Elf, and it was lost to her grip. She turned it over delicately in her hands, eyes skimming over every inch. Apparently satisfied, she returned it to Bard.

"May your aim be true, Bowman. You have given your people a fighting chance."

...

Once the last barge was sent off across the lake, the remaining townspeople began lining up outside the armory. They were stopped, however, by The Master's guards, who refused to let anyone by. Fili and Oin were in a heated argument with The Master's right hand man, whom insisted they had no right to arm the town without permission from The Master himself. He insisted there was no real proof that the dragon had awoken, that a bit of thunder wasn't precedent for panic. The Master had yet to make an appearance, which Tauriel imagined was a common occurrence.

The She-Elf was stood in the shadows alongside Bard and Bofur, watching the scene with hidden impatience. She had no time for the quarrels of men and Dwarves, especially with what was at stake. She wondered if the townspeople truly understood how much danger they were in, but how could they? They had grown up on stories, while Tauriel had seen the horror first hand. She hadn't yet been appointed Captain of the Guard, but had been among those in the force that had accompanied Thranduil to Dale. The death and destruction had troubled her greatly, even then, but she had trusted the judgement of her king. Believed what he said, that the greed of the Dwarves had to be stopped, and it wasn't their place to disrupt the 'way of things.' She had thought him to be protecting the interests of their people. As much as it shamed Tauriel, she no longer possessed the faith she once had in her king.

"We do not have time for this. The guards will not move unless The Master commands it, and he will not appreciate that you've already commanded an evacuation of more than half the town. He won't care that you were trying to save them, only that you undermined his authority."

Tauriel gave a small nod, indicating to Bard she understood. She continued watching, imitating a statue as the pristine gears of her mind spun away. Finally reaching a decision, she turned to Bard.

"You are right. We do not have time for this. We _must_ find a way to get you to that bow."


	3. Chapter 3

_**Hello loves! I'm sorry it took so long to update, and the chapter stills leaves off at a bit of a cliffhanger, but I figured giving you guys something was better than waiting longer! I'll get the next chapter up quicker, and that will tie some things off. Thank you all for your reviews, favorites and follows, I really appreciate it. **_

_**...**_

Feet pounding in an uneven rhythm against the river bank, Kili trodded on as quickly as his tired limbs would allow. Kili had been many different kinds of tired. Tired from too little food. Tired from a lack of sleep. Tired from fighting. Tired from walking for days on end. Poison, however, was a new kind of tired. He felt like something had been eating at his veins, draining his very life source. And he supposed, in a manner of speaking, it had been. Kili knew what it felt like to be dying, to feel your life leaking away, and it had already aged him. The true danger of their quest had sunken in, and the promise to his mother seemed foolish and near impossible to keep. The reality that he may never see the rest of his family again weighed heavily on his soul. The young Dwarf had not joined the company expecting the journey to be easy, but he had also not expected quite the amount of peril they had been thrust into so far. If it had not been for Tauriel..

The She-Elf was another thing that troubled him. Of all the Elves he had seen along their way, he had not found any of them to be particularly pleasing to the eye. But the fierceness of which Tauriel fought had been something to behold, and he had suddenly found her beardless, delicate features to be enchanting. He found he enjoyed nothing more than the small grin she had when she tried to hide that she thought him amusing. The clever light in her eyes and quick wit had left him speechless, as he had never encountered anything like her in his lifetime. Although Kili would never admit it, as he was ashamed to have thought such a thing, there had been a moment in the cells where he had felt as though he could be content to live out the rest of his days there, if it meant he could gaze upon the Elf with fiery red hair and starlight in her eyes. While he had only entertained the thought for a moment, it had overwhelmed him with guilty. The idea that he could abandon their quest, his family, was despicable. It had made him try to push the Elf from his mind, but to no avail. It wasn't as if Kili had never fancied anyone before, he had found many a Dwarf lass to be admirable. Maybe it was the adventure, the thrill of seeking, longing for someone so utterly unattainable.

Lost in his conflicted thoughts, his only other focus on putting one foot in front of the other, Kili did not hear the second set of footsteps join him on the bank. That is, until the sickening crack of an arrow making him in a thick skull sounded behind him. He spun, yanking the blade from his belt just in time to see an Orc tumble into the river. In a moment, and with the sound of brush being crushed under many pairs of feet, more Orcs surged from the tree line. Kili braced himself, blade held before him. Just as the first Orc was nearly upon him, another arrow flew over his head, sticking between the creatures eyes. Kili did not have to look behind him to know the shot had been fired from the bow of an Elf. The Orc fell, merely making way for the next, which lunged over it's dead comrade. The Dwarf met it with a swing of the dagger, slicing at it's stomach before rolling out of it's path. The action was painful, but Kili was soon on his feet once again, pivoting to face his foe. It was then that he saw the patrol of Elves merging with the Orcs. Their numbers were almost evenly matched, which meant the scum of Dol Guldor didn't stand a chance.

However, Kili didn't have time to watch the Elves in battle, as the Orc was throwing itself at him once again, weilding a crudely forged flail. His reflexes stunted, Kili didn't manage to duck quite fast enough, and one of it's spikes raked again his forehead. He stumbled back, regaining his balance just as the spiked ball sailed towards his head a second time. As painful as the action had been before, he opted to crouch and roll out of the Orc's path yet again, an action that seemed to befuddle the oaf as he merely stared at the space that had formerly been occupied by the Dwarf. Kili took the brief opportunity to run the blade across the back of it's thick knee. It cried out, an unnatural gurgling sound, and fell to it's knees. Kili lunged forward, jumping onto the creatures back and reaching round to pull the blade across it's neck. They both fell to the ground, Kili shuffling to the side as the creatures blood ran down the rocks. He turned, ready to face the next Orc. Instead, he was greeted by the sight of a familiar blond Elf, with an arrow pointed at his head. For a moment, neither of them moved, two statues amongst the bloody chaos of the skirmish. It was over as quickly as it had come, the Elf tilting his aim just slightly and loosing an arrow over Kili's head, downing another Orc. As he finally righted himself, and turned to face the heart of the fight, he was only moderately surprised to see it was more or less over, and as a few of the Elves darted into the woods, he assumed the remaining Orcs had fled.

Before he could even think of surrendering, a thought that didn't exactly occur naturally and he was only doing so under Tauriel's instruction, several arrowheads pointed at him. Slowly, he held up the blade, before tossing it lightly to the ground and kicking it to the nearest Elf. It was the one who had fought the Orcs with Tauriel, the one called Legolas and the son of the king. He regarded the blade with what was nearly a confused expression, his nostrils flaring as he looked back to Kili. "Where did you get this, Dwarf?"

Kili examined the Elf, taking his sweet time in giving an answer. He couldn't help but wonder how he and Tauriel were involved, but from how he had regarded the dagger, Kili would have to guess they were close. Jealousy got the better of the young Dwarf, and he sneered at the Elf. "I gather you already know."

Legolas seemed less than pleased with this answer. In a swift movement he had snatched the blade from the ground and had it pressed to Kili's throat. "How did you come to have Tauriel's blade?"

"She gave it to me."

This answer by far pleased Legolas the least, and he pressed the blade just hard enough against Kili's throat to conjure up a drop of blood, which ran down the Dwarf's neck. He did not falter or flinch, however, and the Elf seemed to contemplate pulling the blade across his throat. One of the other's must have noticed, or just had impeccable timing, and spoke up. "Legolas, you cannot believe this weakened Dwarfling could have taken the blade from Tauriel. He can barely walk, and while he was able to take down and Orc, our Captain is a much harder task." Indeed Legolas did not think this, for it was jealousy that pressed against the blade, and not anger. What the Dwarf said was, unfortunately, the only logical explanation. Legolas doubted even if the Dwarf were in perfect health he could manage to somehow disarm Tauriel, she had been made Captain of the Guard for a reason, and the likelihood of her leaving it somewhere was even less so. Legolas knew that the fact that Tauriel had apparently given him her blade was no cause for his death, and begrudgingly withdrew the blade from the Dwarf's throat.

"Why have you come back?"

_Be clever_. Tauriel's words ran through Kili's mind as he deliberated an answer. None of his kin or comrades would have referred to Kili as clever, at least not of their own accord. He was young and, as his mother had said many times before, reckless. But even Kili knew what was at stake here, and he wasn't going to let some pompous Elven prince ruin his chances. "I have come to see your king."

Legolas sneered at that, finding the thought almost amusing. "And what business do you have with the king? Have you come to try and right your leader's foolishness?"

Kili's fists clenched at the jab at his uncle, but once again Tauriel's voice sounded in his mind. _Keep your emotions in check_. "The business I have is for the ears of your king. And trust me when I say, it is a matter of life and death."

Legolas did not seem convinced, but the murmurings amongst his companions signaled they were of a different mind. "That is out of the question. No one but those on patrol are allowed through the gates."

"_But if the Dwarf speaks the truth.._"

"_And if he lies?_"

The Elf which had spoken stepped forward, placing a hand on Legolas's shoulder. "_Then it will be his head._" The Elven prince seemed decently satisfied with that response, and two of the company stepped forward, grabbing Kili by either arm.

...

While Kili had put up quite a fuss about being more or less carried by the Elves back to Mirkwood, in truth it had been a welcome relief to his injured leg. It was also probably a lot faster than letting him walk on his own and have to set their pace to match his, which worked in his advantage as well. The longer he has to speak with Thranduil, the better.

The seemed to reach the gate in no time at all, and the Elves carrying Kili dropped him rather abruptly on the hard dirt path. As the Dwarf righted himself, Legolas motioned him forward. Kili walked with surprising steadiness to the front of the group, and was greeted by a rather unamused blonde She-Elf. "Legolas, what is the meaning of this? Why have you brought one of Durin's sons back to our halls? You know that your father has forbidden anyone entry."

Much to Kili's bewilderment, Legolas looked almost embarassed as the She-Elf spoke, and answered with a somewhat apologetic tone. "_The Dwarf claims to have urgent business with the king, and while I'm not sure I believe him.. He did have this_." Kili glared in frustration as Legolas revealed Tauriel's blade, silently cursing them for speaking in Elvish instead of the common tongue. He not only wished to know if the conversation would turn in his favor, but who the She-Elf was and why she seemed to have such a humbling effect on the Elven Prince.

After she had thoroughly examined the blade, her keen eyes searched the faces of the party. "_This is Tauriel's blade, but she is not among you. Not, to my knowledge, is she within the halls of Mirkwood_." Her eyes turned to Kili with so intent a gaze he felt as though he stood naked before her. "How did an injured Dwarf come to have this blade?"

Before Kili could answer, Legolas piped up, once again in Elvish. "_He claims that Tauriel gave it to him, and unless she was severely injured... I see no other explanation._"

"_You mean you do not know if Tauriel is safe?_"

"_The two of us followed the Orc pack to Laketown, where we were separated. Once the filth were dealt with, I returned, believing Tauriel would have done the same. Before reaching Mirkwood, I was greeted by the patrol. They had seen no sign of Tauriel, and we assumed her to be hunting the Orcs within our borders, and set out to do the same. We came upon a group of them just as they attacked the Dwarf._"

The She-Elf listened without interruption, however her eyes never relented in their current study of Kili. He didn't doubt she had noticed every minuscule flinch at Tauriel's name. "And Do you know of Tauriel's whereabouts, young Dwarf?"

Kili straightened up as she addressed him directly, and with a question Legolas couldn't answer for him. "Tauriel remains in Laketown."

"And do you know why?"

When Kili refused to answer by way of remaining silent, Legolas spoke up once again, thankfully speaking in the common tongue. "There were rumblings from the mountain." Kili and the She-Elf had near-comically similar reactions to this statement, both turning to give him somewhat baffled looks (Kili more so, of course).

"Why did you not mention this before, Legolas?" Before the Prince could manage an explanation, the She-Elf turned back to Kili, kneeling before him much as Tauriel had, an action that very obviously shocked the other Elves. "She sent you, didn't she?"

Kili regarded her with suspicion, something that came naturally around Elves. After a moment he noticed something in her expression that reminded him alarmingly so of Tauriel. Not in physicality, no. Her gaze had the same something Tauriel's had when she had asked him to go to Mirkwood. An unchecked passion for doing the right thing, and like they somehow understood the world so much better than everyone else. It was due to this shocking similarity that he gave a small nod, which set several things in motion.

First, Legolas gained a slightly enraged expression, his cheeks reddening to a delicate shade of pink, while in contrast his lips pressed into a thin, white line. This would have amused Kili, had he noticed, but instead he watched as the She-Elf stood and spun around, demanding that the Gatekeepers allow them entry, which they did after just a moments hesitation. The rest of the Elves in the patrol were just as shocked as Legolas, however instead of anger they now regarded the Dwarf with a bit of curiosity, no doubt wondering what their captain had sent him to do. Kili was confused as well, wondering what it was about She-Elves that made them seem to know so much more than everyone else. The entire befuddled party followed the She-Elf through the winding halls of Mirkwood, stopping only when they reached King Thraduil, sitting upon his throne.

The first thing the King did after taking in the sight before him, was to glare at his son. Kili had seen that look many times. one that held a seemingly immeasurable amount of disappointment and just a touch of anger. He imagined he saw it more often than Legolas did, but he also had a feeling Thranduil was less prone to praise or a relieved hug when Legolas came home safely than Thorin was. The king's gaze then turned to the She-Elf, whom he addressed with a more resigned expression. "Dinel, why have you and Legolas brought this Dwarvish filth before me? I made my position quite clear to their leader, and my mind is not changed. I also made it _quite clear_ no one was to cross our borders, so unless he was found lurking within our halls- I _am_ waiting for an explanation."

Both the She-Elf, apparently called Dinel, and Legolas stepped forward, prepared to speak. Before either was able to utter a single syllable, Kili practically shouted behind them. "The Dragon has awoken!" For a moment, the room echoed with dead silence, and all eyes turned to the Dwarf. The Elves of the Guard were shocked although not entirely surprised. Legolas looked like he wanted nothing more than to strangle him, but Dinel looked almost proud. And in that moment, when no eyes but Kili's were upon the king, terror flashed across Thranduil's face.

However, the king swiftly composed himself, standing and making his way down from the throne. He did not stop until he stood before Kili, towering over him. "And have you fled to avoid it's fire? Have you abandoned your kin for fear of the beast's wrath? It is not greatly spoken of, the courage of Dwarves. Perhaps, because there is not much to speak of."

Kili's very being screamed against the king's words. He wished to say that the Elves had not shown much in the way of courage, that at least his people had fought the best instead of cowering in their home. He wanted to defend his uncle, who was the bravest Dwarf he knew, and defend the name of Durin. In the end, however, Tuariel's words and the urgency of the situation held his tongue for him. "I have been sent to request sanctuary for the women, children and elderly of Laketown."

The king barked out a cold laugh, causing Kili to flinch. "And who sent you? The_ Master_?"

"Tauriel."

_**...**_

_**Hello hi yes don't hate me for leaving it off there. Also, yes we will at some point find out who Dinel is (but let's face it we need some more female characters and she was poking at my brain demanding to be added). **_


End file.
